Georgos

I would go for the wagon because it only has advantages compared to the saloon. Besides that, wagons got the future. Why u think BMW is going to offer an M5 touring and an M3 touring in the future.
Also the touring keeps its value more than the saloon and it is much more special also. The saloon u see very, very much but the touring u dont. Its because people are still prejudiced against wagons and see them as familycars and for old men.
And last but not least i really think the touring looks better, certainly with Mpack. And the person who said that a saloon always looks better than a wagon must check his eyes, look at Audi, their trademark is their wagon (avant) and they all look astonishing in my opinion. Better than their saloons.

Krekski

If I were in your situation. I would take the sedan. The sedan is not a small car especially the trunk is huge. You can take the option with the split rear seats so in case of big things you can put them down. You just said you and your wife are working meaning only 3 persons sitting in the car at once. So plenty of room even with a half seat down.

If you are really thinking of transporting big objects you can take your wife's because these are usually ex planned purchases.

kscarrol

I'd go for the sedan. I, like you have two small boys and have had my 5 for more than 2 1/2 years. My wife drives an X5 as the primary family hauler so the times that my car gets used for moving kids is pretty rare. But when we do use my car, the trunk is more than large enough for two fold-up stollers and the assorted stuff that you carry when travelling with small kids. Mine are now 5 and 6 so no more strollers really, but the trunk is even large enough to fit the two Britax car seats we use. Realistically the useful space that the wagon offers over the sedan is not a deciding factor for me.

LowOrbit

My sister has 2 kids (8 and 11) and says she needs an SUV because she needs to haul around tennis and soccer equipment (takes place of strollers) and has to take her kid's friends with them places. Given this, you may want to get the wagon, or better yet, the new X5 which is really nice and has 3 row seating.

However, 2 drawbacks come to mind:
1) Resale value is worse than the sedan given fewer people interested in high-end wagons in the U.S.
2) Sports package is just cosmetic on the wagons, without the ARS etc. on the sedan - this alone would prevent me from choosing the wagon.

Good luck on the decision!

The Shrike

So, not a very helpful thread thus far. Opinions from both sides, but few arguments .
Edit: The last two responses I did not read before writing this.
The question for me would be about 1. the styling ( I like it, my wife prefers the sedan, guess what we got) and 2. driving differences/noice. I do not know about the E61, but the E39 wagon had a different suspension/rear axle and that made it a different car to drive plus the noice was more prominent also (less insulation). Especially with the much discussed RFT noice being around on the E60/61. Moreover, I also do not know how the hifi sounds in that car (if important to you).
So, I would test drive both cars and pick one. Hope this helps.

TexaZ3

Sedan - plenty of storage room, better looking (IMO), less expensive, better resell value (if need be), rear wheel drive, better gas mileage in comparable models.

dlevi67

I have one small girl (2) + another one on the way + a largish dog. The Touring (wagon) was an obvious choice for me - my reasoning went as follows (more or less):

We only have one car, so we need a space for everybody! No way you can do that on the saloon, unless you attach a trailer for the dog (or the kids? now, there's a thought...)

Many friends - including US-based ones - with 2 kids say they would find it impossible to carry everything in a sedan - not sure how true this is, as I have survived several thousand miles with 5 adults and bags in very small FIATs and Renaults (without A/C) in the summer. Now, comfortable travelling is another thing, but you can do it.

In Europe depreciation is lower on E61 - but another poster implied this may be the opposite in the US.

Aesthetically, I like the E61 better, particularly the back; but "chacun a son gout".

So, compared to your situation, I can see that you'd be going for the saloon (3 out of 4 reasons seem not to apply to you). Unless a dog is on the cards. However...

Coming from an E39 saloon (sedan), the difference in carrying space is very very noticeable; the opening of the boot (trunk) is large in the saloon as well, but the height is a serious limitation if you want to fit in a twin stroller + a couple of suitcases. Unless you drop part of the rear seat, but then you have problems with fitting two kids' seats.

Noise-wise, the E61 (and I have a diesel) is MUCH quieter than my E39 (V8 petrol) - even with RFT. I need to watch the speedo constantly on motorways to avoid going much above 100. Ride and handling are again better on the E61 than on my (recently re-bushed and re-shocked ) E39 with M-sports suspension. I imagine the E60 would be even quieter and smoother/agile, but I'm not suffering unduly.

In the end, I think it comes down to how you will use the car and how flexible your family arrangements are around who uses which car for what (i.e. if you have to carry 2 tons of stuff for an afternoon out cycling, would you exchange cars with your wife? Would she? Would she give you the BMW back afterwards? Would you go on vacation driving the SUV? How many times will you have to make such arduous decisions over the next 5-6 years?).

Perhaps it's not practical/feasible, but can you not rent one / persuade your friendly dealer to lend you either model for a couple of days? If you can't live with the limited space (or if you find you don't use it), you have your answer. Whatever choice you make, it's a nice car!

Sorry - just spotted a couple of things in TexaZ3 post:

Consumption: to all intents and purposes, there are much bigger differences due to engine size and auto v. manual than there are between sedan v. wagon. If consumption is all that important, then I'd consider other cars as well (MB seem to be far less thirsty, albeit less fun to drive)

RWD vs. AWD: all depends which one you were going for. If you are high in the Colorado mountains, rather than the sunny plains of Texas, maybe having AWD is not such a bad thing...

Sorry for the long post.

znod

The combo of an SUV and a sedan will work just fine for you IMO. Been there done that, and experience is a very good argument. And, I think you really want the sedan--a second very good argument in favor of the sedan. So, I say go with your heart and the experience of others; get the sedan. The 5er trunk is plenty big to take care of the transport issues when it is your turn--for all but extreme hobbies/circumstances.

EBMCS03

I've noticed those that suggest the wagon arnt from the US... In the states a High End Wagon isnt all that... Sure they might offer a M5 wagon... but its a minority... most people dont like to look at high end wagons here in the states I think... no stats... just my tiny brain trying to spin wheels...

beldredge

Yeah - I have to admit, the sedan is really what I want; obviously my struggle has been regarding whether the wagon would be that much more useful. I actually started out this process with the wagon in mind, but as I shopped more and more, and started noticing the E60/61's on the road, I find myself so much more drawn to the sedan, from an aesthetic perspective. Thus, the reason for starting this thread.

For the most part, it sounds like most owners feel the trunk of the sedan is quite large and useful, particularly since this is the "secondary" family car for us. For family trips, whether actual roadtrips or weekend jaunts, the MDX will always be the choice. For dropoff and pickup responsibilities, and other activities during the week, it sounds like the E60 will be more than adequate.

I was really encouraged this past weekend, when my wife and I had to swap cars - I easily fit a set of golf clubs, a stroller and other various items in the trunk of my Acura TSX. With the overall size of the E60 that much larger than my Acura, it doesn't seem like I'll have a problem.

And some of you brought up resale. At the end of the day, you need to get what you want, but resale is important to me. And here in the U.S., the wagon is a slow-seller, which ultimately translates into poorer resale values. And, on top of that, I am most likely getting a manual trannie - can you imagine trying to sell a manual wagon 6-7 years from now? It'd better be a keeper.

I have mildly considered the new X5, but don't think I'd want to have two SUVs, on principle alone. And, thinking ahead, if we like our BMW experience with the E60, perhaps my wife can replace the MDX with a new X5 in a few years. Best of both worlds - and give them a few years to work the kinks out of the new model.

Anyhow - thank you so much for all the advice and input. So much of it is simply a personal decision, driven largely by emotion, but it helps so much to hear practical experiences from actual owners.